Archive for the ‘Chhatisgadh’ Category

Three employees of the Chhattisgarh State Electricity Board were killed on Tuesday and five Special Task Force personnel seriously injured in a landmine blast in Naryanpur district of Bastar region.

“The Maoists blew up a cement-laden truck near Kapsi, about 250 km from the state capital, by triggering a landmine, killing three CSEB employees, including the truck’s driver,” a police source in Narayanpur told PTI.

The injured STF personnel were admitted to Narayanpur district hospital, police said.

The incident occurred when the CSEB employees were going to Jharaghati with cement to repair three high-tension electricity towers that were blown up by Naxalites on June 1.

The damage to the towers has resulted in 27 lakh people of five districts in the Bastar region going without electricity for the past five days.

Police had earlier said the Maoists had planted landmines to target people being sent to repair the damaged towers.

RAIPUR: Security forces in Chhattisgarh have been put on high alert to prevent any Naxal attack following a blackout in Bastar region after Naxalities blasted three high tension transmission towers.

Intelligence and jail authorities have received inputs that taking advantage of the darkness and communication problems due to power failure in the entire Bastar region, Naxalites could attack some vital installations including jails to take out their associates, officials said on Sunday.

Since it would take another ten days to restore the power, the jail headquarters reviewed the situation and directed all the jails of that area to shift the jail inmates, who are accused of being Naxalites, to safer places to prevent any jail break, jail department officials said.

As a part of that at least 60 such accused of Dantewada district jail, involved in Naxal related violence, have already been shifted to Jagdalpur Central jail, the officials said.

The jail Department had so far identified 182 such people, who had been housed in various jails of Bastar region on charges of involvement in Naxal violence and the authorities have been directed to take permissions from the local court to shift them to safer places, they said.

The Maoists had earlier unsuccessfully attacked some jails, including Narayanpur jail, when there was no power in the area and the current blackout could provide them with an opportunity, they said.

Raipur, June 3: No less than seven CPI members, including a Panchayat representative, were today seriously injured in a clash with activists of anti-naxal movement Salwa Judum in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh.

“All the seven injured have been admitted to Dornapal Hospital in a serious condition,” CPI national executive member Chitta Ranjan Bakshi told PTI from Dantewada.

When contacted, Dantewada police confirmed the incident and said the SP Rahul Sharma had left for the spot.

The incident occurred near Dornapal when the CPI leaders and workers were returning from Cherla in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh after attending a meeting against the Salwa Judum and naxal threat, police and CPI leaders said.

About 20,000 people had left their villages in Dantewada district because of the Salwa Judum and naxal threat and took shelter in Andhra Pradesh and it was a CPI organised meeting in Cherla against their forced ouster, Bakshi said.

Initially vehicles of CPI leaders were blocked near Injeram, because of which they returned to Konta block headquarters and with police escort they crossed the Konta police station area, CPI leaders said.

After crossing the Konta area they were passing through Dornapal area when Salwa Judum activists stopped their vehicles, they said. “Initially there was a verbal duel followed by the attack in which at least seven CPI leaders and workers were seriously injured and admitted to Hospital,” they said.

Among the injured was one Rama Sodhi, who is an elected Panchayat people’s representatives from Dantewada district, police added.

New Delhi – At least four Maoist militants were shot dead on Saturday in armed clashes with police in India’s central Chhattisgarh state, IANS news agency reported. The gun battle broke out in the Sendra forests in the southern Bijapur district when the guerrillas fired at the policemen who were conducting counter-insurgency operations, IANS reported quoting police officials.

“The security forces retaliated and gunned down four rebels but several others managed to melt into the forests,” an unnamed police official was quoted as saying.

The Bijapur district, which lies over 500 kilometres south of state capital Raipur, is one of the strongholds of the Maoists.

The Maoists currently have a presence in 13 of India’s 28 states and seven federally-administered territories. They are most active in Chhattisgarh, eastern Jharkhand and southern Andhra Pradesh states.

The Maoists reject parliamentary democracy and aim to capture political power through an armed struggle based on guerrilla warfare. Although the Indian government has intensified operations against the rebels, Maoist-related violence is showing no signs of slowing down.

In 2006, 749 people including rebels, security personnel and civilians were killed in Maoist-related violence, while there were over 250 dead in the first four months of 2007.

Here is the complete list of documents and digital material seized by the police from Binayk Sen’s home. He was also prevented from addressing the media to rebut the lies that the police chose to spread while addressing the press and media representatives gathered outside his home.

Although the police was claiming in front of the media that they had found some significant documents, a copy of the seizure memo enlisting all the material exposes the “white lie” of the police. These are as follows:

1. Five CDs, mostly pertaining to the various investigations regarding Fake Encounters in Gollapalli, Katgaon, Surguja, and Jharkhand, which were made during the PUCL investigations, and contain interviews with the concerned citizens. PUCL has been distributing these for the last two years.

2. The Computer CPU, yet to be examined by experts;

3. A post-card dated 3.6.2006 written to Dr. Binayak Sen by the CPI (Maoist) leader, Sri Narayan Sanyal lodged at the Raipur Central Jail, regarding his health as well as legal case, which is duly signed by the Jail authorities carrying the Seal of the Jail Authorities;

6. A Letter written by Madanlal Banjare (a member of the CPI- Maoist) from Jail addressed to “Priya [dear] Comrade Binayak Sen” revealing the inhuman conditions and illegal activities in Raipur Central Jail. (PUCL NOTE: This letter was later sent to all newspapers and electronic media by the PUCL, and was prominently published in some newspapers);

7. A Xeroxed Article in English entitled: “Naxal Movement, Tribals and Women’s Movement”

(PUCL NOTE: This Article is based on a dialogue carried out in Andhra Pradesh during the period of the Peace Talks and was later published in the prestigious periodical Economic & Political Weekly, Mumbai)

8. A hand written photocopied note of 4 pages on “How to build an Anti-US Imperialist Front.”;

We invites all to join the huge rally protest of raipur on 31st. This will be a strong message to the repressive and undemoctaric state. .We hope you are already preparing to reach Raipur to join the voices of dissent.Venue : KHALSA SCHOOL, near Pandri Bus stand, Pandri Accommodation: Pastoral Centre, near Holy Cross School, Baron Bazar Contact Person : Adv. Sudha Bhardwaj (mobile: 099266-03877)

Another major concern is about the threat of Dr. Ilina Sen getting arrested. This news is being spread by the CG police themselves and hence also the CG local press. Sources close to police confirm that they do plan to arrest her on the grounds of being owner of the house from where “incriminating evidence” was found.

This is ridiculous and should get on the nerves of anyone who has any allegiance to human rights or civil liberties. Friends, it is high-time we show the CG government that lawlessness and absolute human rights violations will not be tolerated by people. We hope the 31st programme becomes a common ground of this declaration.

However, the ground situation in Chhattisgarh continues to be extremely bad with more and more people’s movements and activists being targeted. Radheshyam Sharma is still in jail, but atleast he has ended his hunger strike and is not getting tortured compared to Piyush Guha or some others… Another issue is lack of pro-active legal support that is required from legal experts on HR issues and draconian legislations…

Close to 6 thousand people from all over Chhattisgarh participated in the daylong dharna, rally and public meeting raising their voice against the police harassment of the Human Rights & Social Activists working for the rights of the people, especially the tribals, dalits, women, bonded & child labourers, workers, farmers, minorities, etc. They also demanded that the Government should immediately stop their anti-people’s policies and adopt a pro-people’s agenda where the land, water, forest, seeds, and other natural resources are collectively owned by the people, and basic facilities like employment, health, education, drinking water, etc are made available to the people as their fundamental right & not a commodity.

1. Withdraw all false cases against Dr. Binayak Sen and release him immediately.2. Repeal the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act, 2005.3. Stop police harassment of Human Rights & Social activists, media persons, intellectuals working for the rights of the people, especially the tribals, dalits, women, bonded & childlabourers, workers, farmers, minorities, etc.4. Stop Salwa Judum & other anti-tribal activities, and withdraw Naga battalion, Mizo battalion & Central Security forces from Bastar.5. Stop displacement from forest and implement Schedule Tribe and Traditional Forest Dwellers Land Rights Bill (Forest Rights Recognition Act) 2006.6. The tribals of Bastar should have collective ownership over the natural resources of Bastar, and the attack on their democratic rights should be stopped immediately and the model of development should be based on the principles of social justice and equality.

A protest demonstration is also being organized on 31st May 2007 by the Chhattisgarh PUCL against the Black Laws and the arrest of Dr. Binayak Sen.

New Delhi, May 29: The Centre today decided to send an official team to Chhattisgarh to review the situation in the wake of the killing of nine security personnel by naxalites in Bastar district.

The decision to send a team of senior officials of the Union Home Ministry was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta, official sources said.

The team will review the situation, particularly the recent spurt in naxal activities, and discuss the measures to be taken to control the problem, Home Ministry sources said.

The latest incident in which Maoists laid booby traps in Kudur village, 435 km from Raipur, killing an Assistant Sub Inspector, a Head Constable and seven constables of the Mardapal Police station of Bastar district.

A spokesman said the Home Ministry was in constant touch with the state government and monitoring the situation closely.

The Home Secretary, who held a detailed review of the situation with all concerned agencies, had recently written to the state government offering assistance in strengthening the intelligence machinery and a central team had also visited the state to supervise arrangements being worked out to beef up intelligence.

In March, 50 security personnel were killed and over a dozen others injured when naxalites opened indiscriminate fire and hurled grenades and petrol bombs at a police base camp in Bijapur district of the state.

The large number of protests by the civil society, both in Delhi and Raipur, over the arrest of a Human Rights activist in Raipur is the most significant sign yet of the Chhattisgarh government’s troubles over its policy against Naxalism. While the Intelligence Bureau has asked the Chhattisgarh government to explain why Binayak Sen was arrested, the Union Home ministry is considering cutting down funding for the controversial Salwa Judum project. The Supreme Court, acting in response to a pil, has also issued a notice to the Chhattisgarh government over human rights atrocities committed in the name of Salwa Judum or “peace movement”, which is supported by the government.

The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has been bringing to light cases where the police has claimed that it killed Naxalites, when in fact those killed were ordinary tribals whose only fault was that they did not join the Salwa Judum. Such cases are difficult to bring to light because they often take place in the remote interiors and the tribals often do not speak Hindi. The PUCL has been at the forefront of exposing these killings and other activities, wherein entire villages have allegedly been ravaged for not joining the Salwa Judum. Unfortunately for the Chhattisgarh government, the PUCL has been able to rally civil rights groups and the media across the country against the Salwa Judum. The arrest of Binayak Sen on May 14 is a result of this effort to put the truth out, says PUCL Chhattisgarh president Rajendra Sail.

The police also searched Sen’s organic farm without a search warrant in what, Sen and his family feared, was an attempt to plant evidence of Sen’s involvement in Naxalite activities by linking him to a jailed senior CPI (Maoist) leader, Narayan Sanyal. Sen often met Sanyal in jail and exchanged postcards with him, but this was all with the knowledge of jail authorities who were privy to these conversations. The PUCL says that Sen met Sanyal to enquire about his health and help him get medical attention. The immediate cause of Sen’s arrest was a letter found with Piyush Guha, a businessman, which was to be handed over to Sanyal. Guha has also been arrested and the police refuses to divulge the contents of the letter.

On May 21, the police searched Sen’s house and is now trying to use whatever they could lay their hands on as evidence. This includes CDs pertaining to five fake encounters, a computer cpu, books and pamphlets by or about Naxalites or Salwa Judum members.

Sen has not been arrested under the ipc or provisions of the crpc, but under the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act, 2005 (CSPSA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The CSPSA, which was passed after pota lapsed, is said to be even more draconian.The Act has a provision that makes punishable verbal or written communication and representation or publication or broadcast of anything relating to Maoist activities. A number of local journalists have been threatened and silenced using these provisions.

Sen’s arrest came just when the Chhattisgarh administration was facing charges of having fake encounters conducted by the Salwa Judum. On March 31, seven tribals were killed in an “encounter” in Santoshpur village. Civil society activists say that the Chhattisgarh Police and Salwa Judum officers took the seven from Ponjer village to Santoshpur to kill them. The police claims they were members of the Sangham, the Naxalite wing composed of local tribals. An autopsy confirmed foul play but the state government has only ordered a police inquiry. Home Minister Ram Vichar Netam has gone on record saying that no action would be taken against the police officials. The police officials investigating the case say that the killings were committed by Naxalites dressed as policemen. However, an anonymously shot video shows the spo sarpanch of Santoshpur spilling the beans (available at cgnet.in/santoshpur).

It is feared that Sen’s arrest may be followed by arrests of other activists in Raipur. Activists in other parts of the country could also be targetted. In Mumbai, the police have arrested one Arun Ferreira, who wanted to be a priest, for his alleged involvement in Naxalite activities. In February this year, the Union Home ministry was on the verge of acting against overground Naxalite symapthisers including academics and former bureaucrats, for statements they had made in a seminar in Delhi.

The Supreme Court, meanwhile, has issued a notice to the Chhattisgarh government asking it to explain its support to the Salwa Judum. This was in response to a petition filed by Nandini Sundar, Ramachandra Guha and EAS Sarma demanding an end to government support for the Salwa Judum; an independent inquiry into all killings, rape and arson whether by the Salwa Judum, security forces or Naxalites; registration of FIRs and prosecution of those found guilty; compensation to those affected by the Salwa Judum on the same lines as victims of Naxalites; rehabilitation of those who wish to leave the Salwa Judum; and preventing the state government from appointing minors as Special Police Officers.

But the Salwa Judum may die with a whimper even before the apex court passes a judgement. The Planning Commission, the Tribal Affairs ministry and the Panchayati Raj ministry have requested the Union Home ministry to stop funding the Salwa Judum and divert those funds towards development activities.